Of course on the way out we ran into some of our friends, just shortly after finding out (luckily from the guy in front of us, not us) that the dump station was overflowing so no one could empty their tanks. That's good, because no one wants this.
Since yesterday's mini aquarium stop was cut short in the visitors center, we swung by on the way out so Jordan could see her horse crab.
Apparently it helps to be there the second the place opens, as we pretty much had it to ourselves.
A quick shot of our setup in the parking lot, all packed up and ready to roll. After 3 years, we still would appear to be the smallest RV towing the largest tow vehicle we've seen on the road. Not sure if that's a good sign, but it really works well for us.
A couple of hours down the road, we passed this on our left. Dover International Speedway. Since I know very little about NASCAR other than what I learned from Days of Thunder, I was surprised at the sheer scale of the stadium. Apparently, it's kind of a big deal.
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The combination of nearly 6hrs in the Big Truck, those roads/construction, and the fact that Pottsville has no public parking for a vehicle larger than a Fiat 500 created a bit of tension within the Big Truck. 13 days in a glorified van boiled over into a fairly terse exploration for a parking location. This was our solution. 3 meters, marriage crisis averted.
Just a couple of blocks up the street stood the oldest continuously operating brewery in the United States, DG Yuengling & Sons. This was our pilgrimage, and after all of the hassle, seeing the history in those walls made it worth it. The building's exterior was impressive, but inside you could feel the nearly 200 years seeping out of the walls.
We arrived too late for the twice daily tours, but still were able to wander and see some of the guts of the operation. It is truly impressive to see the mix of old and new technology, along with some items that added so much character you couldn't help but be proud of a business that has stayed true to a process & product for so long.
The gift shop was basically a time capsule with some t-shirts. All of the history of the brewery was proudly on display, including items like a letter from Bell Telephone letting the brewery know that they were basically the oldest continuous customer of the phone service in the country.
This is just an example of a hallway outside the shop. Some of the items on the wall were over 100 years old, and the number and magnitude of celebrities and sports icons that have wished them well over the years was very impressive.
After wandering in the brewery for a bit, we headed across town to pick up some Yuengling for ourselves and some friends back home. As popular as their products are, we still can't buy them in the Midwest. Hopefully they expand their distribution soon.
Yes, I'm rocking a Dogfish Head t-shirt at Yuengling, as the Linda Richman lookalike host of the gift shop immediately insulted me for. Craft beer enthusiasts should be able to get along, and she wasn't buying the fact that it was my only clean shirt left. It is.
Back on the road, Jordan attempted to lighten the mood by having her new pet horse Rainbow poop on my head. It worked.
The terrain was a marked departure from the coastal byways we've been on for the past 4-5 days. After all of the intersections and construction, we were now on I-80 for about 250 miles. It was actually a welcome change.
Nearly 11 hours in the Big Truck were burned off once we arrived at the campground by a full re-enactment of any karate move Sandy Squirrel has ever unleashed, with the target of this agression being the awning strap.
Tomorrow is a Dad-Jordan day at the campground, as Kimberly will be venturing into town to some tax-free outlet stores. Yep.
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